project statement and evaluation x

Project statement and Evaluation Ideas and intentions Ideas for this project were to show a sense of place through a visual means. A number of topics were considered such as family, a childhood setting, bedrooms etc. The topic which showed a greater sense of place was North Wales. North Wales was chosen due to the fact family members live there and many happy personal memories have been made there. Having decided upon a topic of North Wales, what was left to decide was how to capture the true essence and meaning of how North Wales became a sense of place. Photographs were researched of north Wales via the internet and personal photographs and sticking them into a sketchbook with information about the source and meaning of the photo. After carrying out this research it was decided that the true intention of this project would be to make an observer feel like they wanted to experience North Wales for themselves and to feel a sense of belonging and place with the different areas. An idea of how to portray this feeling was to create a video to show exploration of North Wales culture through an electronic means. The idea was to combine still images and information of North Wales along with a true Welsh hymn to portray why North Wales is a sense of place. This was disregarded as a final piece due to it containing the same content as the sketchbook. The use of a sketchbook displays the original ideas linked to a sense of place and the process from deciding upon the topic of North Wales to the final piece. It includes the pictures, the reasons why those pictures were chosen and how they relate to my sense of place. It also includes memories, family photographs, hobbies; culture and places of interest that have made those areas contribute to north Wales being a sense of place. The idea of the final piece was to show all feelings and affection that have made North Wales become a sense of place through creating a traditional love spoon. Having explored the key ideas that have made north Wales a sense of place, it was noted that the final piece needed to be typically welsh, show the love and affection felt for the area and stand on its own as representing that sense of place. It was felt that culture best displayed this and in particular a welsh love spoon. Therefore, the final piece is a love spoon. Subject matter/reference material/sources A sketchbook was developed to accompany and show the processes used in both developing ideas and the final piece itself. The sketchbook firstly contains two mindmaps, which were used to generate and display ideas. One mindmap shows general thoughts and ideas about 'sense of place', while the other focuses more specifically on ideas around how North Wales offers personal sense of place. The ideas shown on the second mindmap are then expanded upon, looking at each aspect in detail. Wales and Welsh culture were researched using the internet, including the language, symbols and emblems, flags, welsh cakes, welsh love spoons and welsh costumes, and the history of each. North Wales was a focus of much internet research, looking at why people would want to visit the are, local attractions etc and blending the information researched from the internet, with personal memories and emotions. These are displayed as a collage of scenery images of North Wales. Horse riding in North Wales also provides a sense of place, therefore personal memories and family photographs are included. As a love spoon was chosen to be the final piece, love spoon artist Adam King was researched and his designs were studied. Ideas for the designing and making processes were developed from this research, including mindmaps and sketches. Materials/media/ICT programs/techniques explored A range of materials were explored and used throughout the process to present ideas, including photographs displayed in various ways, pictures / sketches, written information and diagrams. ICT has featured strongly in this project. The programme Tagxedo was used to draw a love spoon using associated, relevant words, to also show how a sense of place has developed. An internet blog has been developed to provide information about the project. easywhois.co.uk has been employed to validate websites used and graffiti creator has been used to produce a visually pleasing title for the sketchbook. The final piece was made using pine as it is a softer wood, which is generally easier to work with, and a variety of tools and techniques were used in the making process, as is explained in the sketchbook. Evaluation The main intention of this project was to visually demonstrate and communicate a ‘sense of place’. This aim has been successfully met, as the final product clearly demonstrates a well-known artefact of Welsh history and culture, with North Wales being the area where a sense of place is found. The final product also contains symbolism of Wales and of ‘home’ or ‘sense of place’, with a daffodil, the symbol of Wales, being burned onto the spoon and a keyhole has been cut out which represents home or the “unlocking of a sense of place,” the final product communicates both visually and in a tactile way. The support material also helps to communicate a sense of place successfully, as it demonstrates clearly and coherently how ideas have been developed, with the use of mind maps, the processes involved in the making stage and explains why North Wales has a strong sense of place, communicating this visually with the use of drawings, diagrams, photographs and personal experience. It is clear that how we visualise and interpret visual images is greatly influenced by social, historical and social/cultural influences, this project addresses and demonstrates visually all of these features and explains clearly how they have helped to build a sense of place. ICT has been used suitably and meaningfully to also communicate ideas visually, with the use of ‘Tagxedo” showing relevant vocabulary displayed in a visually stimulating way, in the shape of a love spoon. “graffiti maker” has been used to produce a striking and eye-catching title for the portfolio. Easywhois.co.uk was employed to validate websites used, and an internet blog has been created to provide further information about the project. As stated, the use of a video story was considered, but was disregarded as it would have simply been a duplication of the still images contained in the portfolio and therefore would not have enhanced the project, it would simply have used ICT for the sake of using ICT. Where as the ICT used in the final material, visually enhances the project, communicating ideas in a stimulating way. The research carried out for this project made use of both primary and secondary sources, allowing the ideas, influences and thinking of others to be linked with personal feelings and experiences.

Breif evaluation of ICT and visual communications project x

I am very proud of my love spoon as it took alot of time and effort to make. I am also pleased with my sketch book as I believe it holds alot of interesting and historical information about places, culture, language and people. I think my sketchbook holds all the information as to why North Wales is my sense of place and I beleive that my link from my original mind map to my final piece is justified and makes sense. I think that when somebody looks at it they will notice that it is a welsh lovespoon and link that to welsh culture which then links to North Wales as there is alot of strong culture there. I also enjoyed using the ICT techniques to make my two tagxedo images and my North Wales graffiti. I believe these techniques are effective and also express my links and feelings to my sense of place in an electronic format. I also found using easywhois.co.uk an effective and quick method of evaluating the usefullness and reliability of a website, especially considering the amount of research I have done using the internet. I found using ICT through my project found very helpful and effective. I also enjoyed creating my sketchbook and trying to make it as visually appealing as possible. I think I did this by writing in bright colours and using photographs. I also sketched my love spoon ideas out which showed my process in creating my final piece. I think my final piece is very visual, artistic and well chosen to display my sense of place as North Wales. I think my sketchbook could have maybe contained less factual and historical information and include more memories and personal links but in conclusion, I believe I have justified, explained and communicated my reasoning as to why North Wales is my sense of place with an appropriate final piece. I have now successfully completed my assignment xxxxx

My love spoon x

my final love spoon x

I have finally made my love spoon! It took me longer than I thought because I had difficulty using the electric scroll saw. I liked varnishing it the best as it was the easiest and least danegrous! I had to wear goggles whilst making the lovespoon so that nothing went in my eyes as there was sawdust everywhere! It was really good fun making it but it took alot of hard work and patience to make! I made a taxedo which I posted on here to show the key words and the shape of the electric scroll saw whilst making my love spoon. It was a good experience although expensive to rent the scroll saw and buy the pine wood, however, I do feel it was an appropirate final piece as I believe it represents my love for my sense of place which is North Wales xxxx

tagxedo using words to make lovespoon x

My love spoon x

I have decided to make my lovespoon out of pine wood. My reasons for this are that it is a hard wood so it will carve well and pine is very good for decorating which means it will also be easy to varnish. I have designed four loves spoons and in the end the love spoon I have decided to make is two of the sketches combined. My reasons for this was that one sketch was very easy to carve but not that pretty, the other was that it was a pretty love spoon but too difficult for me to carve. Therefore, I have made my final design pretty but still relatively straight-forward to carve. I have also incorporated a daffodil onto my love spoon as it is a welsh emblem so will represent north wales even more. I will make my love spoon by first of all drawing my design onto the pine wood. I will then clamp the wood and cut out the shape using an electric scroll saw. I will then smooth the edges using sandpaper. Next, I will chisel out the 'bowl' of the spoon before sanding it down to make it smooth. Then I will use the drill and electric scroll saw again to put the keyhole in the top of the love spoon so taht it will hang. Finally, I will burn on the pattern of the spoon and the daffodil using a wood burning pen before varnishing the spoon. Wish me luck! xxxx

Lovespoon artist - Adam King x

I have looked at a welsh love spoon artist. His name is Adam King. Since Adam was seven years old he demonstrated a variety of rural crafts to the public all over Britain. He began his craft career helping his dad demonstrate pole-lathe turning, shaving up the billets and doing the roughing out whilst he did the finer work. When he was 18 he set up his own business and began making his first love spoons. Here are some examples of his work: